Of Shadows and Winds
by volaju66
Summary: With Shikamaru still injured from Pein's invasion he is placed on administrative duties as Temari's assistant.
1. Chapter 1

(9/1/2010) OK, quick update. I tried to reformat this so that it is easier to read. I apologize for the long wait in between chapters. The fifth chapter should be up later tonight. If anyone would like to beta my drivel I would be very appreciative and as always Thank you for reading.

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"Shikamaru, you are village bound until your leg completely sets. That means stay off of it because anymore chakra healing will cause the bone to become brittle," said Sakura as she completed his evaluation. Staring out the windows, cloud watching, Shikamaru just sighed.

"Tch, troublesome." Stretching backward he placed his hands behind his head. "I guess this means no missions then, huh?" he smirked. Sakura turned with an evil glint in her eyes and handed him a scroll.

"Actually, you will be escorting Temari and acting as her assistant while she is here as a Suna diplomat. We need their help with the rebuild and the Kazekage is sending her to work out the details before they begin their aid," she smiled. The pink haired kunoichi knew of the sordid love-hate relationship between the two as much as they tried to hide it. Working in the Hokage's office under the Hokage herself had to have some perks. Sakura swore that was the only one some days. With a quick shake of her head, she handed Shikamaru his prescriptions alongside the details of his next exam.

"Be sure to tell Temari I said hello and that we need to get together and catch up," Sakura smiled sweetly before turning and promptly leaving. Shikamaru stared at the scroll then resumed his reclined postion staring at the clouds one more.

"Why are women always so noisy and troublesome?"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Send Kankuro instead."Gaara stood silently watching his sister work. Temari had finished cleaning and oiling her fan and was adjusting it into its holster. Finishing with its buckles she sat down to finish her speech about how she didn't want to go but was interrupted.

"It's not for very long, Temari. You'll have to return to take a team back to Konoha to help with the rebuild. Once we see the damage, we can decide which nin are the best to send. Besides, I thought that you would want to see him." The 'him' apparently could not mentioned by name.

"And you are the only other option as we are still paying on the last time we sent Kankuro to Konoha." Gaara sighed and closed his eyes, "Honestly, you would think he would be able to laugh off the puppet sex jokes by now instead of laying waste to an entire bar." Usually her brother's attempt at humor at least made her smile, but Temari's attention was on some invisible spot on the wall.

"It's not that I don't want to see him, Gaara. When we heard about Konoha's devastation my first thoughts were to make sure he wasn't in the killed in action lists. The thought that he might be gone..." She trailed off as her mind struggled with the idea of Shikamaru no longer meeting her at the gates of Konoha, playing Shogi with her or sharing her bed and body.

"But he couldn't even be bothered to send me a letter letting me know he was ok or how our friends were. I had to find out from the documents sent by the Hokage." Her gaze dropped to the floor as her voice broke. "Maybe its time to let him go. To let him be with someone from his own village, that way he won't have to be bothered with a letter..."

Gaara moved to kneel in front of his sister, reaching out to gently raise her face to his. Speaking softly his gaze held hers, "I know that neither of you have made a commitment to the other. But I also know that there has been no one else for either of you. Since the Chunnin Exams the two of you have chased each other. You would be quite angry if he made a decision with out you which is why you are going to Konoha to sort things out not only for Suna but for you as well."

He paused before shrugging, "Well that and Kankuro can't take any more abuse anytime someone mentions leaves, shadows or pineapples." Finished with his speech Gaara moved to leave, but as he walked through the door it promptly slammed behind him. Satisfied with herself, Temari re-adjusted her fan and sat back down.

"_**Temari**_..." Gaara's icy voice brought her attention to the door. Temari paled as she realised her tantrum had caught his Kage mantel in the door.

"oh shit," she thought as sand slid under the door, "to Konoha it is."


	3. Chapter 3

As Temari walked through the forests of Konoha, her thoughts drifted to the dark haired man that awaited her. '_He's probably cloud watching or napping, not waiting for me. I'm sure I'll end up waiting for 2 hours at the gate again.' _A smile crossed her features as she stopped at the base of a large tree and unbuckled her fan's holster. Settling it and herself against the tree's rough bark, Temari rested her head back on her hands as she gazed up at the clouds peaking through the forest's canopy. '_For once, he can wait for me',_ she thought before drifting off.

Daylight was slipping away as Temari flung herself towards the gates of Konoha. '_Shit! I can't believe I slept for so long.' _Thinking about the sarcastic remarks that she would hear from Shikamaru, her mind stopped mid-thought as the damage of the Leaf Village came into sight. Her eyes instantly teared at the thought of her friends being here during this destruction. Then came the thought that _he_ could have been buried underneath the rubble and a single tear spilled over. Shiny eyes searched through the crowds of merchants and travelers trying to get through before the gates closed for the night. '_Where is he? Why isn't he here for me?'_ Her thoughts were again interrupted as a group 3 of ninja jumped through the gates in perfect formation with the 4th careening into Temari's back. Landing face down, Temari quickly turned over flipping the idiot off of her back. Reaching for her fan to knock this moron to kingdom come, she was tackled back to the ground with a flash of yellow screeching her name.

"TEMARI! How is Gaara? Is he with you or did Kankuro come with you? Is Suna sending help? Where..*hghack*.." Pulling his collar tight as she dragged Naruto off of Temari, Sakura extended her other hand to help Temari stand.

"Temari, it's so good to see you. Where is Shikamaru? I though he was your guide this time." " I don't know. He was supposed to be waiting for me, but I ran late. I guess he just left and figured one of the guards would come get him when I arrived."

"God, he is so lazy," smiled the pink haired kunoichi as she threw her arm around the blonde girl, "Well then we will be your escort to see Tsunade and this way I can catch you up on all the gossip."

"Hey Sakura, does that mean you are going to tell her you accept Fuzzy Brows proposal?" Naruto loudly announced.

Temari's eyes grew wide as Sakura's cheeks face matched the brightness of her hair. "NARUTO! Don't tell other people's personal business!"

"But Sakura, you do all the time...ouch, Sakura!" Temari smiled as she watched the strong kunoichi wail on the future Hokage. '_I guess for all that has happened, some things never change...'_


	4. Chapter 4

Temari slowly trailed behind the others into the Hokage's office. Her thoughts were completely immersed in worries about Shikamaru. Maybe there was a reason he couldn't come to meet her.

'_Is he sick or still laid up from...'_ As the group fanned out in front of the Hokage's desk her feelings quickly faded from empathy and worry to anger. Sitting in a chair near the window was Shikamaru. Her fingers slowly trailed down the edge of her fan as her emotions ran wild across her face.

"Temari, I..."

Temari quickly cut him off ignoring the hurt and annoyed look on his face.

"Hokage, I apologize for my late arrival. I thought I would have a liaison waiting what with Konoha and Suna's growing relationship. I will be here often during your rebuild as well as this is where my brother tends to visit when he needs to take a break from his Kage duties so perhaps with your permission we could keep a Suna liaison on our payroll instead of taking one of your nin."

Tsunade nodded her approval while looking to see Shikamaru's reaction. Temari had just dismissed him from her side. It was a scenario she hadn't seen coming.

"It is not required to use one of the leaf's ninja as a runner. Though I would have you keep their status at Chunnin or under," Tsunade replied. "I assume you will take residence at the Kazekage's apartments then? Just use one of the diplomat's for your liaison then. I have set the timing for your meeting with the council and the advisors for tomorrow afternoon. Shizune will have a scroll sent with the information for this week's itinerary for meetings and the such. I will send the Kazekage a message letting him know that you have arrived and are taking up residence in his apartments rather than...elsewhere."

"Thank you, Hokage. If there is nothing else you need of me I will retire to my brother's home then," Temari stated while bowing deeply. It took everything she had as a ninja to control herself from bolting out of the door and this strenuous and awkward situation.

Silence filled the Hokage's office as everyone's stare shifted from the door to Shikamaru. He shifted in his chair slightly before letting out a deep sigh.

"Well I guess its back to no missions, eh Sakura?" said Shikamaru as he slowly stood and found his balance. It didn't last long as a well placed punch from the pink haired kunoichi almost sent him out the window.

"You were seriously too lazy to come and escort her. It was your job, damn it! She was so worried that something was wrong or that you were too injured to go and meet her at the gate like you always do when you know she's the delegate for Suna, and the truth was you were just too freaking lazy!"

Grabbing the boy by his spiky pineapple inspiring ponytail Sakura continued to berate him as she tossed him out of the office with the threat to find Temari and apologize or else. Shikamaru laid down and placed his hands behind his head while he thought of the route Temari would take to reach the Kazekage's apartments. He had a few minutes before he had to jutsu to the alley he knew she would use to cut through the commercial area.

"Why do I involve myself with such noisy and troublesome women?"


	5. Chapter 5

Ok there is pretty much just lemon people...Please be gentle its my first time writing it. If it sounds awkward let me know so that I can try and fix it. If you don't want to read such things I don't think it will hurt the story if you skip it. Happy reading hopefully.

_' I am going to kill Gaara for this. I would have rather paid the bill and let Kankuro raze another bar to the ground then step foot here again. He never cared for me after all...How could he do this to me' _Temari let her body's memory take her towards her brother's home as her mind continued to race. Taking a right turn into an alley that cut through the business district towards the apartment complex set aside entirely for Suna ninja, her body suddenly halted jerking her out of her thoughts. Hands clasped at the end of the alley, Shikamaru walked towards the shadow bound kunoichi. Growling a number of curses his way, she matched his pace and stalked towards him.

"How dare you think of touching me. I'm angry with..." When in arm's reach of her, Shikamaru dropped the jutsu and pulled the protesting Sand nin into him.

Hands put up to shove him away were trapped between them as he tightly held her against him.

"I'm sorry," he whispered into her ear "I should have written you after the invasion. I should have met you at the gate. Please, forgive me..." Temari lost her will to fight with him. He could always disarm her when he acted vulnerable.

"Don't be such a crybaby," she whispered back. The feel of her breath on his ear made him shiver and Temari decided to take advantage of this. Her hands placed firmly on his chest between them, she pushed him backwards causing him to lose balance and slam against the wall. Sliding her body against his, she tilted her face upwards and lost herself in his kiss. Whispers turned to gasps as his tongue slid along her lip causing her to arch against him. Shikamaru's hands worked on the belt that held her weapon's holster in place when Temari pushed herself away from him.

"I can't do this, Shika. I'm sorry. When it comes to you I lose all my reasoning. I shouldn't have let myself start...things between us. I'm going home. I'm sorry" Temari reached for the belt to tighten it when she found herself unbuckling it instead. Shikamaru smirked as she mimicked his movements.

"Kami, you are beautiful."

Both were missing vital parts of their clothing at this point when Shikamaru reached out and pulled her against him again. Any protests she had died on her lips as his firm erection pressed between them and he held her tightly as his hands wandered down her back to caress her buttocks. Temari slightly spread her legs trying to get a better stance. Deciding to take advantage of this, one wisp of shadow held her legs firmly as his hands slid around to the front.

"You and I are meant for one another like this." His fingers slowly circled, teasing her, making her cry out against him.

"Shikamaru, please..." He loved that she would yield to him, that they would fall into the same rhythm and pattern. Reaching up, he pulled the hair ties that bound up her hair. Released to frame her face, Shikamaru wrapped his hand in its length and pulled her into another bruising kiss. Now, it had to be now. Pushing Temari against the wall, Shikamaru unbuckled his belt.

"Hike up your skirt a little more and show your world to me,(1)"he smirked. Sliding himself in between her legs to rest against her wet heat, Shikamaru shifted trying not to put her weight on his leg.

"Temari, I'm going to hold you with shadows against the wall. My leg won't be able to hold us." Temari nodded as his shadows slowly wrapped around her legs pulling them apart and holding her to the wall. Spreading her sex slightly with his fingers Shikamaru thrust himself inside her. Everything else in the world fell away as their bodies reacquainted themselves. Shikamaru pinned her hands above her head as her captured her lips for a kiss.

"I can't imagine never being able to touch you like this again, Shika. Don't ever do that to me again. You are to stay by my side forever," she whispered before he penetrated her deeper and took her breath away.

Whispers turned to throaty moans as both were quickly reaching their peaks. Shadows danced along Temari's body as Shikamaru's control wavered.

"Faster, Shika. I'm almost there." A few more shallow strokes before Shikamaru plunged himself securely inside her and everything released. Sliding down the wall together, Shikamaru's head rested on her shoulder as both settled into a sense of calm. He couldn't seem to recall a time where he had felt more relaxed.

(1)yay, Dave Matthews Band for the song "Crash". I humbly thank you for your semi-dirty lyric that I have borrowed.


End file.
